Lesley Fraser

Lesley is the Director of Housing, Regeneration and Welfare within the Scottish Government. Since 2001, she has worked in a range of posts within the Government including Primary Care, Children and Families, Strategy and Performance and Tourism and Major Events. Before joining the Scottish Government, she lived in London working for Tower Hamlets Council, English Heritage and the UK Government and was a historic buildings expert before becoming a civil servant.

Wednesday 11 March
16:00 KEYNOTE SESSION:

Douglas Fraser

Douglas has been business and economy editor of BBC Scotland since 2008, where he works across TV, radio, online and social media, for Scottish programmes as well as UK. He was previously political editor at The Herald and the Sunday Herald. He worked at The Scotsman, covering education, the arts and the Highlands and Islands, and was Scottish correspondent for The Observer and the Sunday Times. He is co-author of the Political Guide to Modern Scotland.

Tuesday 10 March
16:00 KEYNOTE SESSION:

The economics of Scotland - what now?

In conversation with Douglas Fraser
Business and Economy Editor, BBC Scotland

Professor Professor Donald MacRae

Donald is Chief Economist, Lloyds Banking Group Scotland and a director of Lloyds TSB Scotland plc. Founder of the Business Forum (the networking organisation devoted to promotion and development of new Scottish businesses), he was also a member of the Scottish Executive Purchasers Information Advisory Group (PIAG) and is a member of the Scottish Government Economic Statistics Group. Appointed to the boards of Scottish Homes in 2002 and Scottish Enterprise in 2004, Donald is a Trustee of the David Hume Institute and a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He recently gave evidence to several Scottish Parliamentary Committees, advised the Finance committee of the Scottish Parliament on the Scottish Budget and holds the chair of visiting Professor of business and economic development at the University of Abertay Dundee.

Tuesday 10 March
16:00 KEYNOTE SESSION:

The economics of Scotland - what now?

Professor Christine Whitehead

Christine is an internationally respected applied economist working mainly in the fields of housing economics, finance and policy. She has worked with a wide range of international agencies as well as the UK government and Parliament, and is adviser to the House of Commons Work and Pensions committee on their inquiry into welfare support for housing costs and latterly for Communities and Local Government Select Committee on private renting. A former Director of the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research, as well as Professor at LSE, major themes in her recent research include analysis of the relationship between planning and housing, the role of private renting in European housing systems, and financing social housing in the UK and Europe. Christine was awarded the OBE for services to housing in 1991.

Tuesday 10 March
16:00 KEYNOTE SESSION:

The economics of Scotland - what now?

In conversation with Professor Christine Whitehead
Professor of Housing Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science